196 [Bonus Chapter]Mr. Liu's past life (2)
“I had a big argument with Jin that day when he implied that I should break up with Shui. That was the first time I rebuked him so harshly,” he shook his head, “I was already at my limits because of this distance between Shui and me that on top of which he said such a thing to me.”
“How did Jin react?” Ai asked.
“He panicked and apologized to me after which I let that matter go. When Shui got to know that I was secretly following her, she got super pissed off at me, and we had another big fight again. It was Jin who intervened at that time and calmed things down.”
“He did that?” She blinked.
Jun frowned. “Which I found strange later on. He should be happy that Shui and I were fighting. But he somehow diffused the situation.”
Ai pursed her lips. “I see. Was that how the four years went?”
He slowly nodded. “Yes,” he faintly smiled. “I was an idiot. I should have gotten my clue at that time when our relationship became even more rocky. But I refused to leave her alone. I held onto her stubbornly. The more she tried to get away from me during that time, the more I followed her everywhere even when she didn’t want it. Sometimes things would be good between us but only because Jin would be there. Otherwise, it was chaos. I thought things would eventually settle down. After all, we were going to get married one day. She would be my wife. I would have my perfect love story just like Mom and Dad do.”
Jun noticed Ai’s thoughtful gaze strangely felt different for some reason. “W-what?”
“Nothing.”
“I feel you have something to say.”
“I think I do, but I want to first know everything that happened.”
Jun inhaled a shallow breath. “Everything that happened after Shui’s twenty-fifth birthday was nothing but hell. I punched Jin hard and accused them of betraying me. The party got ruined and so did my image. I…I disregarded everybody who tried to talk to me. I thought they were siding with Jin, but I was too furious to listen to anything. I just wanted Shui at all costs and when I refused to budge, Dad threw me out of the house.”
He took a pause and then continued. “After how the party went, I ruined my own reputation. Then one day, it got leaked that I am the Sky CEO. You can imagine the repercussions. But I didn’t care about Sky. The company was going down, but I selfishly only involved myself with Shui. I practically gave up managing it.”
His eyelashes trembled with his brown orbs reflecting pain and sorrow. “Yunru suffered a lot because of me. He did the best he could do as the President. But every single time, I kept ignoring him and all his efforts. He cried and begged in front of me, but it was as if I was possessed. I couldn’t bear seeing my life crumble like that. I had a perfect family and by marrying Shui, everything would be just right. But I hurt Yunru a lot. One day Sky collapsed, and with it my relationship with Yunru too.”
There was a long moment of silence. The memories of watching Yunru’s heartbroken face filled his heart with guilt once again.
Jun stared at Ai. “That’s why I made the rule this time that nobody from Dream High was allowed to join Sky. I remembered Yunru telling me about some spy, and I had my suspicions on Dream High, who basically got the monopoly in the publishing industry once their fierce rival Sky was out.”
The understanding dawned upon Ai, and now she realized why Sky was so adamant about this rule. It was natural to be alert of the enemy who was behind the downfall and take necessary precautions now that he knew the future.
Jun brought Ai’s hand closer and squeezed it a little tightly. “Then…Mom and Nuo came to meet me one day. It was a few months after I was already living separately from my family. Mom tried to talk to me about the whole situation, but…I pushed her away in the cruelest way possible…”
*Flashback*
“Jun…” Nana held his arm as she cried before him. “Please…please come back home. We will talk about-“
Jun, who was drunk with empty bottles lying around the room, chuckled, “Talk about what Mom? Are you here to say that I should be understanding and let Shui go? Or let Jin have her? My brother who betrayed me? Tell me, Mom. Are you here to talk because you are on my side or Jin’s?”
“You both are my sons! How could I take sides, Jun?” Her shoulders trembled and she broke down. “Jun…please listen to me. I know how you are feeling. But-“
“But what?” Jun tilted his head and laughed. “But what, Mom? You are here to tell me to be mature and let Shui go, right? She doesn’t love me, so what’s…what’s the point of this relationship?” His own words pierced his heart. “But no. I won’t…I won’t let her go. I have dreamt my future with her, Mom! I have been waiting for years to make her mine, and now you want to talk to me about understanding stuff!?” He harshly shook her hand away.
Nana was slightly pushed back with the force, and she froze.
Nuo caught her and exclaimed. “Bro!” She glared at him with tears in her eyes. “Don’t forget that you are talking to Mom! Do you have any idea how much this is hurting her the most out of all people!? She loves you. She cannot see you hurt like this and you are pushing her away?”
Jun smiled. “Well, if she cannot see me hurt, then surely she would want to see me with Shui, right? But I don’t see her doing any of that. Such a good mother she is.”
Nana trembled hard. Her vision turned blurry.
Nuo clutched his shirt, her gaze exuding resentment and disbelief. “How…can you say that, Bro? H-How can you talk to Mom like that? She came to meet you even when Dad forbade her from doing so. Why? Because you are her son, and she cares about you! How can you question her love like that?”